I drink a gallon of water a day when I'm not in the desert, so I drink almost 2 when I'm out there. I found it to be a pain to lug around a Camelback because it would run out too quickly, leak all over, and I hated asking around for fill ups. It also caused some chafing scars on my back from going naked. For those of you who need a shit ton of water and like going topless, what is your preferred method of hydration when you're walking around all day?

Wow, that's ALOT of water! I used a camelback but I don't think I ran out too often before I found myself back at camp. You could get a larger camelback and throw an extra bladder in it. The one I have looks like it could fit 2 easily, maybe 3.

For toting the liquid around, I suggest a basket or bag on your bicycle(assuming you use a bicycle). As Stitch says, lugging it on your person gets old fast.

I like to mix quite a bit of Gatorade with my water. Ensures proper electrolytes in the body. It is actually possible to drink too much straight water -- potentially fatal, in the extreme.

There's an old "rule" that says not to put ice in beer or wine. I say rubbish. I take a big mug and fill it with ice, then top it off with beer -- then out on the town I go. Gives nice beer flavor at first, which slowly changes to "safe" ice water as you sip. Perfect for the mid-day heat on the Playa.

I have three steel water bottles, two 27 fluid ounces and one smaller. Fill in the morning, hang them on the back of my chair (I have neoprene slings) and I'm good to go. I guess that being vehicle mobile [s]next[/s] this year, I'll keep a suitcase in my van for refills.

The Lady with a Lamprey

"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri

Holds 3 litres (which if my mental math holds up comes up just shy of 1 gallon) which I found to be incredibly excessive for my drinking needs, as I never once came close to running it dry. Has a pretty sleek design, and I had no issues with it chafing me when I ran around without a shirt or leaking. Sounds like you didn't have nearly that kind of luck with your camelback?

Drinking two gallons a day sounds obscene to me, even for the desert climate. I've known people that have had to be hospitalized because they drank too much water and flushed all the nutrients from their body.

I got a camelpak thingie. My un-used to backpack shoulders (I usually don't need a big survival back at burns) were rubbed quite raw by the end of the week, it kept running out of water, esp. at night, and then started leaking.

Plus, I really hated sucking on that straw. I was told by a few people I should get the super expensive real Camel with a fancy straw that isn't as hard to use...but they have money for such things and I don't.

Anyways. Water - esp. at night - is on my list of problems I don't want to have again. If I ever go again.

I hope you find an answer. I carry a 3-liter back pack and drain it in the morning and mostly empty it by evening. I drink a lot of water, too.

Would wearing an open vest be a problem for you? That could pad your back. The other way is to find out what was scratching you on your backpack and pad those items, if possible. Or switch to another model/brand of water carrier; they're not all the same.

Over the shoulder canteens, fannypack style water bottle holders, and such probably don't pack enough water.

phil wrote:I hope you find an answer. I carry a 3-liter back pack and drain it in the morning and mostly empty it by evening. I drink a lot of water, too.

Would wearing an open vest be a problem for you? That could pad your back. The other way is to find out what was scratching you on your backpack and pad those items, if possible. Or switch to another model/brand of water carrier; they're not all the same.

Over the shoulder canteens, fannypack style water bottle holders, and such probably don't pack enough water.

Good luck and post an answer if you find one.

Really, wearing anything is a problem for me. Even if I solved the how to carry water around, my second biggest problem, after the backpack, was running out of water on the other side of the playa - it's not like I left camp with a dinky little water bottle, ya know? I left as prepared as I could, but water do run out!

I haaaaated asking people for water, but pride goeth before dehydration.

Here's a question I'm not sure how to phrase:

Could I carry more water if I used ice and water? I think solid water (ie, ice - ain't I sciencey?) would take up the same amount of space as liquid...but if I put in water, and then ice, to have water later when it melted...I am making myself feel stupid typing that out.

Ice actually takes up a little more space than an equivalent amount of water. That's why it floats. But ice in your hydropack bladder will slow down your usage of it and keep you cooler during the day. I do it all the time.

As far as your crappy pack, keep the pack you've got and just buy a Camelbak brand bladder for it. Tons cheaper than the whole shebang and gives you the better quality bladder, hose, and nipple.

Wow nomenclature on those things is dirty.

“We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.”

Ranger Genius wrote:Ice actually takes up a little more space than an equivalent amount of water. That's why it floats. But ice in your hydropack bladder will slow down your usage of it and keep you cooler during the day. I do it all the time.

As far as your crappy pack, keep the pack you've got and just buy a Camelbak brand bladder for it. Tons cheaper than the whole shebang and gives you the better quality bladder, hose, and nipple.

I like your screen name.

That's my plan, a better/bigger bladder - the pack size was perfect (as small as I could find).

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. When you have bladder problems, getting dehydrated is never an option as it will cause a considerable amount of pain... and in that case no bike riding! I think I'll stick with the Camelbak and grab an extra bladder. I did wind up sitting on it and spilling the contents all over myself at least once a day, so I may get one of those caps for the hose. Anyone use one with success?

Stitch wrote:Thanks for the suggestions, guys. When you have bladder problems, getting dehydrated is never an option as it will cause a considerable amount of pain... and in that case no bike riding! I think I'll stick with the Camelbak and grab an extra bladder. I did wind up sitting on it and spilling the contents all over myself at least once a day, so I may get one of those caps for the hose. Anyone use one with success?

If you have a bike, it'd be easy to transport extra water around. Stick a big ol' bottle or whatever on the back. Or wherever.

But I'm on my feet a lot...I work over 40 hours during the event for Gate/Perimeter as well as working as a Ranger.

The vest is awesome...I have pouches and funny lights/buttons to soften it, but it's reallyu great to just be able to zip up a thing and be done with the "luggage" need. Granted, I end up carrying a lot for me (and to help you all if you need it)...two of everything...chapstick, goggles, pocket knives, some para cord, dust masks, camera, writing pad, etc.

As others have said, a good option if you playa bike is to buy one of those cheap horizontal racks that go behind the seat. You can then fashion fairly inexpensive "pannier" bags for it, complete with locks. You could then store gallon just, one in each side if you liked.

That being said, although I drink a gallon off playa, I find I can manage out there through a combination of solutions.

First, I drink water w/Emergen-C electrolytes on a schedule out there. Yes, whether I'm thirsty or not, I mix a packet into an 12 oz bottle of water, shake and drink. I do this at least 4 times a day. Easier than you think....one first thing while waking up....helps get the first pee of the day going! Eat, get ready, putter about....make one up and down it before going out and about for the day. I generally always have a 3 liter or better camelback. If I am carrying the backpack style, I might throw an additional 12 oz botttle of water or two in.

BEFORE dinner I have another prepped bottle of emergen-c/water in same way....drink some water with dinner and before going out. Finally, I do one final one before bed, no matter what. If I've been drinking alcohol, I might add an advil or two ;-). I'm ususally hanging with campmates late at night...so after a few nightcaps, I simply switch to that bottle for my last drink of te night. Very easy to do.

So, now you've supplemented your daily water rationing by 48 oz of water and electrolyte that you didn't need to carry anywhere.

Another general tip that I would say goes to the reason I have so many different cambelbaks. I work in the dust, but also hike, snowboard and bike in default. One size does NOT fit all and having convenient form factors really helps to encourage you to bring it along for a certain activity.

As for the hose covers and caps, yes they do indeed work and help. Another tip to make use more pleasant is to blow the water from the tube back into the pack after each drink. This is because that water is often the coldest, so having water heating in the tube while you walk isn't the most pleasant first couple sips to take. You can tell the people that don't do this...their first big swig immediately gets spit out on the ground!

LoR

The fox provides for himself, but God provides for the lion - W. Blake (attribution corrected)

Our camp for years has set up a 5 gallon ice-water jug and it has a sign on it for the passerby's see it and they walk up and top off what they have.. It's a great way to meet people.. So ask some of the better prepared camps and who knows, you just might find a gold mine of friendships..

I agree with recommending NOT to put drink mixes, sugared or otherwise, in your camelbak bladder. You'll never get it clean again. Messing with the chemistry could mess with its antimicrobial treatments, too. That's pure conjecture on my part, but it's a thought.

Drinking about 2 liters a day fairly slowly seems to work really well for me. If you start early and get your body used to it, less of it will wind up in the JotS, too. Do get a good bladder with a shutoff valve, and get the last little bit out by blowing in the bite valve to inflate the bag. You can also use this technique to turn your camelbak into a squirt gun. Use this technology wisely. Based on my experience, doing so makes wives want to smack you.

“We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.”

(For city folks: Cattle ranchers hang up big chunks of salt-and-other-minerals for the cattle to lick on. The cattle benefits from the salt and minerals, and luckily they like the flavor so they lick up the stuff of their own accord.)

> i found that it was uncomfy, heavy, and rarely did i go thru the
> whole 3 liters before getting back to camp.

Yes, 3 liter bags are heavy and can be uncomfy. However, I always go through the whole three liters every morning and make a big dent in it for the afternoon. Having only 2 liters was limiting my playa time, so I found the extra weight and discomfort of 3 liters worth the, uh, extra weight and discomfort. shrug - to each her own, I always say.

I did flagger shifts for a couple of years - 6+ hours out on the blacktop just before you get from the playa to Gerlach. I brought my 2 liter and my 3 liter camelbacks, and I emptied them both. Everybody's water needs vary, so while I envy those that did their 6 hours with a 2.5 gallon jug of water, please don't assume we all would be able to do it.